What is the significance of queen elizabeth in romeo and juliet

While the reform of the Church of England was firmly established by many greedy lords, the majority of ordinary citizens remained faithful to Catholicism. Because Mary lived with her mother after the divorce, she was raised as a very devout Catholic. Religion being an extremely serious business in that era, the battle over which religion would prevail was just as divisive to England as the question of who would rule the country.

Obviously, these two questions were intertwined. Simply because Edward was a male, not to mention he was the obvious heir to the throne, the problem undoubtedly would have been resolved with a lot less conflict had he lived.

For better or worse, Edward did not recover from his illness. Upon his death, there was a very brief interval nine days when Lady Jane Grey took the throne. Then Mary marched into London with an army and reclaimed her birthright. Upon her death, she was succeeded by her half-sister, Elizabeth, and the fate of England as a Protestant country was sealed.

In that article, Ms. I will add a few editorial comments to some of the information I have edited this to deal directly with John, not William which she provides:.

John Shakespeare prospered and began to deal in farm products and wool. It is recorded that he bought a house in , and bought more property in Sometime between and John Shakespeare married Mary Arden, the daughter of the wealthy Robert Arden of Wilmecote and owner of the sixty-acre farm called Asbies. The wedding would have … been a Catholic service, since Queen Mary I was the reigning monarch. John Shakespeare was elected to a multitude of civic positions, including ale-taster of the borough in , chamberlain of the borough in , alderman in , a position which came with free education for his children at the Stratford Grammar School , high bailiff, or mayor, in , and chief alderman in Due to his important civic duties, he rightfully sought the title of gentleman and applied for his coat-of-arms in However, for unspecified reasons the application was abruptly withdrawn, and within the next few years, for reasons just as mystifying, John Shakespeare would go from wealthy business owner and dedicated civil servant to debtor and absentee council member.

While not eradicating the Catholic Church, these acts were certainly meant to diminish its hold on the English people. During the first decade it was enforced, Elizabeth tried to be fairly tolerant of all of her subjects, including the Catholics. In those days, it would have taken several years for its mandates to be enforced in every town, including Stratford.

The Act of Supremacy also included an oath of loyalty to the Queen that the clergy were expected to take. If they did not take it, they would lose their office. This is pretty stringent stuff. Needless to say, it incensed the Pope. Each of these plays reflects real-world tensions and anxieties in Elizabethan England.

SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Tragedy Comedy History Romance. The Lord Chamberlain's servants was Shakespeare's acting troupe and Elizabeth is referenced by her title of "Majestie. Similarly, we know that Elizabeth saw a performance of Love's Labor's Lost because of the the play's title page stating:.

As it vvas presented before her Highness this last Christmas. Newly corrected and augmented by W. Our main building is closed for a multi-year renovation. All Folger programs and events will be held at other venues during construction. Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth Tudor. Item Title:. Item Call Number:. For that matter, if Paris had to die to heighten the dramatic irony, he could have been a cousin to Juliet, as those marriages were quite common in that society. Such relationships would have heightened the grievous loss to the families as a result of their ridiculous feud.

For me, it adds no dramatic tension that the prince lost relatives as a result of a limited feud between two families, no matter how rich and powerful they were in his city. However, as a political statement, it makes perfect sense to me.

As the prince says, all are being punished. There have been many interpretations of this poem. I will also speculate on its meaning, more as a writer than as a scholar. This is one of the poems that led some scholars to believe Shakespeare was homosexual, or that someone else wrote the poems. Yes, the ending definitely sounds like a love poem, but why those specific analogies?

There is an interpretation that Shakespeare was despondent after having recently been severely criticized for his work by fellow playwright Robert Greene, and that would seem to make a lot more sense to me than homosexuality. However, I get a different reading given all of the other evidence I have presented in this essay. Perhaps it is because he had been forced to leave school and seek his fortune without the aid of a father who was fairly wealthy and influential.

Or is he actually alluding to John, whom he may have perceived as despairing about having fallen totally out of favor in Elizabethan society because he would not renounce his papist beliefs? However, it may actually have been a direct allusion to the Queen, claiming that the Crown could not heap such disgrace and poverty on Shakespeare as to make him lose all pride and sense of inner worth.

In the first place, Romeo and Juliet is not a simple love story, even if read as a piece of literature rather than a political statement. The main topic is actually uncontrolled passions, as the hatred expressed in the play is equally as violent as the love portrayed.

The choices that are made by all of the characters—certainly not least by the nurse and the friar—lead to the inevitable deaths of the two young lovers. As in life, not everyone can control the fate of a nation, but each person has control over their own choices to act or not to act, to do good or to do evil. Religious persecution cannot exist without the masses condoning and even participating in the emotional and physical actions of persecution, or, as on the part of many of the Catholics, the attempts to overthrow or assassinate Elizabeth.

When seen in the context of the historical and political realities of Elizabethan England, Romeo and Juliet is a true masterpiece of subtle messages. Bearman, Robert. Shakespeare Quarterly — Volume 56, Number 4, Winter , pp. Honigmann, E. Catholic Shakespeare? Mabillard, Amanda. Wang, Charleston C. About the Author: Don Maker is a teacher and writer.

He has taught in private schools, public high school and adult education. As a writer, he has written novels, plays and poetry. Article Source: iTechno Article World.

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Introduction For writers of real literature there are two inalienable truths: one, a writer wants to get out a certain message which they hope the predominance of readers will either believe or at least consider , and second, the writer must write about what he or she knows, which usually means from their own background and personal experiences, although a writer may do one hell of a lot of research to make a story believable.

I will add a few editorial comments to some of the information I have edited to deal directly with John, not William she provides: John came to Stratford from Snitterfield before as an apprentice glover and tanner of leathers. Mabillard continues: By John was behind in his taxes and stopped paying the statutory aldermanic subscription for poor relief.

Romeo and Juliet Of all the comedies or tragedies, only Romeo and Juliet has a prologue and epilogue the latter often delivered by the Prince that directly repeat the message of the play. Act I Prologue Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities: For nought so vile that on the earth doth live But to the earth some special good doth give, This works well to describe many plants, although we have certainly not found uses for even the majority of plants.

A Note on Sonnet 29 There have been many interpretations of this poem. Conclusion In the first place, Romeo and Juliet is not a simple love story, even if read as a piece of literature rather than a political statement. Works Cited Bearman, Robert. Share this: Twitter Facebook.